


Hello, World

by tanks4thememory



Category: Tron (1982), Tron (Movies), Tron - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-17 14:57:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/868833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tanks4thememory/pseuds/tanks4thememory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Picks up directly where "Compiled" leaves off. Clu takes his first steps out into the system.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hello, World

For a short while after the light and voice that was his User had retreated back to whence they came, Clu simply stood there, uncertain of what to do next.  When no more instructions seemed forthcoming, however, he eventually stepped down from the platform and began to explore the room in which he found himself. The chamber was bell-shaped, walls curving gently down from a now closed-off hole in the ceiling, through which the light of his User hand previously shone. Now that that blinding white light was gone, the room was suffused by a soft, blue glow, highlighted by bright, multi-colored energy lines that ran down along the walls. The lines all came together in the low platform on which he’d been standing, a truncated cone, its surface a complex web of glittering circuitry. Even in the absence of his User’s light, it glowed, pulsing softly with its own energy in all the colors of the lines that led into it, plus more.

 

After having made a complete circuit of the room, Clu gave one last look upwards to the ceiling, just to make sure his User’s light and voice weren’t about to return, before he headed over to the door. He followed the sound of the binary chanting down a long, high-ceilinged hallway. It sloped gently, curving in a downward spiral, until finally it opened out into a vast chamber, many times the size of the one he had awoken in. Clu found himself gaping slightly at the enormous room, so much in awe of its size and grandeur that he didn’t notice the low steps  that led down into it from the door he’d just come through.

 

He yelped as he suddenly found himself stepping into empty air, arms flailing for purchase and finding none. He stumbled, wavered, then fell forward, landing hard on his side at the base of the small flight of stairs. He gave a pained grunt as he began to slowly clamber to his feet. Pain was a new sensation, and he decided then and there that he didn’t like it.

 

He was surprised, though, to feel two sets of hands helping him up. He looked up to see two programs, one male, one female, smiling kindly at him. They wore long robes lined with bright blue circuitry, and neither of them had any hair, though the female wore a delicate-looking energy circlet decorated with ornate binary writing. They must have sensed his confusion, because both sent him gentle pings of [ _peace/greetings/welcome_ ]. Clu smiled, relaxing a bit as they got him settled firmly back on his feet and stepped back, though he was still confused.

 

“There you are,” a voice from behind him said aloud, fond amusement evident in its tone. “You’ll need to learn to be more careful, young program.” Clu turned to face the owner of the voice, and found himself looking into the smiling face of another female program. At least, Clu assumed she was a program; everything but her head and her hands was hidden from view inside a mechanical pod of some sort. On top of her head was a tall, decorated miter, though a few small curls of hair could be seen peeking out from under it. Her circuits- what he could see of them, anyway- were the same shade of blue as those of the two programs who had helped him.

 

“I am Liskov,” the program in the pod introduced herself, “Guardian of this tower. What is your designation and function, young program?”

 

Well, that at least was something Clu understood. “I am Clu,” he told her. “I’m a hacking program.  My directive is to help my User, Flynn, in whatever way he needs.”

 

“Well,” said Liskov with a mildly amused smile, “that explains your circuits.”

 

“It does?” Clu asked, confused, before looking down at his own circuitry. It glowed a bright, cheerful yellow instead of blue, like Liskov’s and the other programs’ circuits. Did that mean something?

 

Liskov chuckled at his confusion. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Everything will make sense eventually. For now, just head outside when you’re ready; Rufus will be there waiting for you, and he’ll help to answer any questions you might have.”

 

“He will?” Clu asked. Having questions answered sounded good, as a number of them were rapidly forming in his young processor.

 

“Yes,” Liskov said. “That is his function, as you’ll learn. He’ll help you get settled in and prepared for your new functions. And of course, you’re welcome to come speak to me at any time if you need to seek advice as well. But until then, Clu, welcome to the system. I do think you’ll like it here.”

 

Clu hesitated for a long moment before nodding in reply, a small smile on his face. “Thank you, Liskov,” he said. “I think I will too.”


End file.
